188 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



BALL AKMADILLO. 



and-milk. In the forest land, where it dwells along with its fellow armoured creatures, it has the 

 advantage of being able to curl itself up, and to present no tangible part of its body to the host of 

 mischievous Monkeys of its locality. The other Armadillos, when retiring to their holes, are often set 

 upon by their lively quadrumanous neighbours, and are dragged out by the tail with great gusto ; but 

 the little Tolypeutes curls himself up and laughs at the disappointed Monkeys, who can find nothing 

 to pull at about him. 



The shoulder shield comes down like a flap, far in front, and the croup extends behind in the 

 same way, and they and the bands have large scales, which are very pretty in shape and ornament. 

 The shields are very stout, and so is the skeleton within. The fore foot has three large clawed 

 toes, on the tips of which the animal walks. The thumb of the fore extremity is to be seen in the 

 skeleton, but is not always visible in the skin, and it is very small and high up ; the index is long, 

 and the claw also, and it is slightly bent, but sharp at the tip. The next claw is the largest and 

 longest, and has a cutting edge at the back and outer part, and the point is sharp. The next digit is 

 smaller. In the hind foot there are five toes, one being high up and rudimentary, and the second and 

 third having broad, flat, curved, short nails, the third being the greatest. The fourth nail is smaller, 

 and they are all placed more or less flatly on the ground. 



The shell of this Armadillo is blackish-brown, and the skin between the central bands is bald and 

 smooth. There are nine back teeth on each side in both jaws, and there are none in front. The 

 muscles which enable this Armadillo to bring its tail and nose together and to form a ball shape, are 

 not simply expansions of the common muscular tissue, which exists deeply in the skin in so many 

 animals, but are special structures. The most important are in relation to the position of the head, neck 

 limbs, tail, and the shields and bands, when the body is about to be and while it is being rolled up ; and 

 these roller-up muscles are so arranged as to permit of the large liver and other internal organs not 

 suffering pressure during their natural or temporary displacement. On the other hand, the unrollers 

 act when the body and bones are in the rolled- up condition. The muscles of the back are very 

 tendinous, and to a degree they unroll the animal, but this is also performed by muscles which are 

 attached underneath the first movable band of armour, and to the front part of the spine of the blade 



